Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

The ferrocrete looks very interesting. I like the integrated split tank look! I'll be following this closely since it's a similar set up to what I'm busily scribbling up Mine will be nowhere near as advanced though - simple constant flood and one tank for me - for now...
Good luck with it all. Now that the digging is all done I'm sure it will come together quickly, having seen your super fast progress on the last set up.

I'll be happy when it's done.

Still have the original tank to do, will build it out when the first one is done, sealed & set. It should be a bit quicker considering the hole is already dug. Although, I'm expanding the sump tank, so there will be more digging, and figuring out where to put the dirt. So much dirt.

I'm planning on building a nice wooden lid for the tanks as well, and they'll be embedded into the tank. It's annoying trying to walk over the wire one I have atm.

And Kat, I started off with one bed too. They seem to expand. Once I convince my wife to let me put some out the front, it should expand even more

I have been reading your thread with interest, we are just down the road at Salisbury Plain and are about to embark on the AP adventure.
My son is in a wheelchair and this is going to be a project for us all. We are looking into using IBC for the fish tank & a couple of grow beds but growing taller veg in dutch buckets for easy access. We are looking at sinking the IBC into the ground so our son can see into the FT. He is studying electronics so he is looking into being able to monitor the system from his computer. Dad & I will be doing most of the building so should be an interesting journey.
We are enjoying reading yours and other's threads so much to learn and to know what we are getting ourselves into but looking forward to the rewards.
Keep up the good work.

I'm in Elizabeth Park, if you and your son want to come around and have a look, feel free

Send me a PM.

That is why I asked.

There has been more than a few times that I have regretted using my real name but ages ago I decided that if I wasn't prepared to stand by what I said and did then I probably shouldn't say it. Or maybe even think it for that matter. Using my real name keeps me honest and gives me pause (sometimes not enough though) before I posts anything.

I think over the next 10 years, the idea of what will be considered private online will change drastically.

I remember Myspace, people had weird and wonderful usernames, thinking it'd be stupid to put their real one on there. Facebook came along and everybody (well mostly) has a page with their real name, photos, and lots of information.

Twenty year ago, if you told somebody you put pictures of yourself somewhere potentially millions of people could look, they'd think you were insane, now it's common place.

The world is going to get far more connected in the future, I don't see that as a bad thing.

Plus I started using Columnmn when I was 14, I'm 30 now, and a little over columnmn now. Just easier to remember when signing up to websites.

You may want to consider keeping the IBC fish tank above the ground and installing a window.. can be done for less than $50-100... I just did that and now I can finally see my fish really well.. it is often quite hard to see the fish through the water surface especially in a 1 metre deep IBC fish tank.. good luck with your build!

Well I've gotten a bit more done:






And my waterfall. The water should come out of the middle, and flow into the tanks.


I'm thinking about changing the rocks around the end, to something like a river pebble. Should look prettier.

I went a little crazy on strawberries on ebay:



I think my brussel sprouts are almost ready:

Wow thats going to look really organic in the landscape - bit messy atm though

Your rockwork on top is fantastic.

Looking good mate!

Looking good, can't wait to see it finished. I'd be inclined to turf the majority of the polished stones and go for some more natural coloured irregular ones though. Some smooth, some rough, flat ones, jaggedy ones, bigger and smaller, etc, it makes for a more realistic look. But ignore me if that's not what you want to do.

I'll be lurking to see the end result!

The polished stones aren't concreted in yet, I'm just trying to make it look more organic. I thought that might have worked, but I do agree.

It's going to have a wooden lid put over the FT. Hopefully something I can walk over.

I've got to figure out how to make the edging look better.

If you can get some larger flatter/flattish rocks, overhanging them over the edge at differing amounts can make for a really nice look once the water it is. It softens the edge overall, and if the water is relatively high to the rocks it can make for a really natural look.

I think it's good to also go for a wide variation in the size of the rocks you use, and don't just have a single layer right around the edge as it can be really blunt and unnatural looking. If you extend the rocks outwards from the waters edge into the garden itself, using a random assortment of sizes and shapes, smaller ones to fill in the gaps and so on it can resemble nature a bit more. Especially if you then start putting plants among the rocks, tallish ones that 'weep' down over the waters edge, some rambly ground covers, simple spikey ones and so on. Don't be afraid to plonk some of the biggish rocks in the garden away from the pond itself too.

Basically, I think if it's as irregular and random as possible it can look far more natural. Layering of different sizes and shapes of stones, then planting out with various plants to tie the landscape rocks and pond together, even a plant or two in the water if it's not going to interfere with things.